Apparatus for retrieving and administrating moving pictures and related network system

ABSTRACT

Video data is segmented into a plurality of scenes. For each of the segmented scenes, an index is produced as an assembly of section information required in a playback of each scene, scene number, and representative frame of scene. A title is added to each index according to search purpose. In a retrieving operation, a desired index is easily found according to the title. The scenes of the retrieved index are successively played back in order of scene number.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a moving picture retrieving andadministrating apparatus and a related network system, enabling theusers to perform the playback of moving pictures (or videos, or dynamicimages) according to various search purposes and also facilitating theretrieving operation in finding out a desired moving picture from videodata or database.

Various storing media, such as video tapes, magnetic disks, opticaldisks, video CDs, DVDs, and hard disks, are conventionally used to storepicture images. The picture images stored in these storing media can beplayed back by using a moving picture playback apparatus or a personalcomputer.

For example, the Unexamined Japanese Patent publication No. 9-247602discloses a moving picture retrieving apparatus which allows each userto select his/her favorite title in retrieving the video data anddisplays a plurality of screens corresponding to the selected title inresponse to a user's selection of the title.

FIG. 15 is a block diagram showing the arrangement of a conventionalmoving picture retrieving system. A data storing section 1501,corresponding to the above hard disk, stores genre selecting screeninformation 1511, video title selecting screen information 1512, andvarious video files 1513 in advance. A playback section 1502,functionally equivalent to a conventional playback board, decodes andplays a video file consisting of compressed moving pictures read fromthe data storing section 1501. The playback section 1502 sends thedecoded video data to a display data buffer 1507.

A control section 1503, constituted by a CPU or a comparable device, isfunctionally equivalent to the personal computer storing the software. Ascreen display section 1504 displays the genre selecting screeninformation 1511, the video title selecting screen information 1512, andthe various video files 1513 stored in the data storing section 1501, aswell as various control buttons. An operator's input section 1505 isfunctionally equivalent to the pointing device, such as a keyboard, amouse or the like.

A retrieval processing section 1506 is responsive to a video retrievingcommand entered by a user through the operator's input section 1505, andfetches a designated video image file among the various video files 1513stored in the data storing section 1501 to search a video sceneaccording to the later described time search or scene search method. Theretrieval processing section 1506 sends the retrieved video screeninformation to a playback section 1502, and sends the informationrelevant to the retrieved video screen, such as time code, to thedisplay data buffer 1507. The display data buffer 1507 temporarilystores the data displayed on a screen of the screen display section1504.

FIG. 16 is a flowchart showing the operation of the conventional movingpicture retrieving apparatus of FIG. 15.

The data storing section 1501 stores the video data which arecompression coded and classified into a plurality of genres according totheir contents (step 1601). Upon starting of an application software ofthis system activated by the user, the control section 1503 causes thedata storing section 1501 to send the genre selecting screen information1511 to the display data buffer 1507. As a result, the screen displaysection 1504 displays a genre selecting screen (step 1602). Then, theuser selects one of the displayed genre names on the genre selectingscreen by using the pointing device (step 1603).

Then, the video title selecting screen information 1512 is read out fromthe data storing section 1501. FIG. 17 shows a video title selectingscreen displayed by the screen display section 1504. The video titleselecting screen of FIG. 17 includes a plurality of representativescreen images each corresponding to a head screen image of video data.Reference numeral 1701 represents a video title, and reference numeral1702 represents the total time of each video data (step 1604).

The user selects one of the displayed video titles on the video titleselecting screen by using the pointing device (step 1605).

In response to the user's input, the retrieval processing section 1506starts the retrieving operation. More specifically, the retrievingscreen is displayed. The buttons for allowing the user to selectivelydesignate the time search and the scene search are also displayed (step1606). The user selects either the time search or the scene search. Theretrieval processing section 1506 performs the search selected by theuser. FIG. 18 shows the search result displayed on the screen of thescreen display section 1504. (step 1607). In FIG. 18, reference numeral1801 represents the time code.

According to the time search, the video data is retrieved at designatedtime intervals and the retrieved screen image and its time code aredisplayed for each designated time interval.

According to the scene search, a scene change point (i.e., a cut point)is detected and a representative screen image and its time code aredisplayed for each detected scene. Preferably, the representative screenimage is a head screen image of each scene. For example, the UnexaminedJapanese Patent Publication No. 10-294923 discloses a technique relatingto the scene change detecting method.

When the user operates the pointing device to designate the retrievedscreen image or time code to select the playback (YES in step 1608), thevideo file selected in the step 1605 is transmitted from the datastoring section 1501 to the playback section 1502. The playback section1502 decodes the video data of the designated video file which arestored in a compressed condition. Moving pictures starting from theretrieved screen (i.e., representative frame of screen) selected in thestep 1608 are stored in the display data buffer 1507. Then, the playbackoperation is performed to display the moving pictures stored in thedisplay data buffer 1507 (step 1609).

It is then checked weather the user wants to continue the playbackoperation, i.e., whether the user desires to additionally play the videodata of another video title (step 1610). When the continuation of theplayback operation is required (YES in FIG. 1610), the above-describedprocessing starting from step 1602 is repeated. Otherwise, the retrievalprocessing is terminated.

According to the above-described moving picture retrieving system, aplurality of representative screen images of video data corresponding tothe video title selected by the user are automatically displayed andthen the video data starting from the user's selected screen image isplayed. However, the user does not always want to watch the continuousor consecutive scenes which are serial on time base. If the user wantsto play only his/her favorite scenes, it is necessary to pick up each ofsuch scenes which are usually positioned at different portions of thevideo data. Performing the retrieving operation repetitively fordetecting the head screen image of each scene is time-consuming andtroublesome. It may be possible to construct new video data byconnecting only the necessary scenes selected from the video data. Inthis case, a large capacity video data storage will be required.

Furthermore, the above-described conventional retrieving system requiresthe user to designate his/her favorite scene by selecting one of thedisplayed representative screen images without confirming the movementof a displayed objective or without knowing the contents of accompanyingvoice or sound. Thus, the user is usually forced to partly play somecandidate scenes to check whether or not each candidate scene is theuser's really requested scene.

If the user can easily remember the story or detailed contents of thevideo data by simply checking each representative screen image, theabove-described conventional retrieving system will work properly.However, a long time may elapse since the last search of the video datahas been done. In such a case, it is difficult for the user to clearlyremember the story or detailed contents of the video data by simplychecking each representative screen image. Thus, the user is forced topartly play some candidate scenes to identify the user's reallyrequesting scene.

Similarly, in a case where the user performs the retrieving operation onthe video data arranged or edited by someone else, the retrievingoperation becomes time-consuming and troublesome.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide a moving pictureadministrating apparatus capable of easily realizing an effectiveplayback operation which plays only necessary portions of the videodata.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a moving pictureadministrating apparatus capable of improving the efficiency in therepetitive search operations for similar purposes, such as playback of asame video tape.

In order to accomplish this and other related objects, the presentinvention provides a first moving picture administrating apparatus,according to which an index producing means is provided for segmentingvideo data into a plurality of scenes, and producing at least one indexbeing edited as an assembly of section information required in aplayback of each scene, scene number, and representative frame, and thenadding a title to each index according to search purpose. A data storingmeans is provided for storing the video data, the index, and the title.And, a retrieving means is provided for retrieving a desired indexaccording to the title and successively playing scenes of the retrievedindex in order of scene number.

Moreover, the present invention provides a moving picture administratingsystem, according to which an index producing client is provided forsegmenting video data into a plurality of scenes, and producing at leastone index being edited as an assembly of section information required ina playback of each scene, scene number, and representative frame, andthen adding a title to each index according to search purpose. A serveris provided for storing the video data, the index, and the title. Atleast one retrieving client is provided for retrieving a desired indexaccording to the title and successively playing scenes of the retrievedindex in order of scene number. And, a network is provided forconnecting the server, the index producing client, and the retrievingclient.

Moreover, the present invention provides a second moving pictureadministrating apparatus, according to which a video data storing meansis provided for storing video data. A scene producing means is providedfor segmenting the video data stored in the video data storing meansinto a plurality of scenes, giving a scene number to each of thesegmented scenes, and selecting a representative frame. An index storingmeans is provided for storing at least one index being edited as anassembly of section information required in a playback of each scene,the scene number, and the representative frame which are produced by thescene producing means. An index editing means is provided for editingthe index stored in the index storing means to produce a new index. Atitle adding means is provided for adding a title to each index storedin the index storing means. And, a playback means is provided forsuccessively playing scenes in order of the scene number so that theplayback starts with one of scenes of the index.

Preferably, in the second moving picture administrating apparatus, theindex storing means comprises at least one file for storing indices, anda database means is provided for administrating and retrieving filenames of the indices and the titles added to respective indices.

Preferably, the second moving picture administrating apparatus furthercomprises a keyword adding means for giving keywords to the indicesstored in the index storing means. In this case, the index storing meanscomprises at least one file for storing the indices, and a databasemeans is provided for administrating and retrieving file names of theindices and the keywords added to the indices.

Preferably, the second moving picture administrating apparatus furthercomprises a title display means for displaying the titles of the indicesstored in the index storing means. In this case, the titles displayed bythe title display means satisfy given retrieval conditions.

Preferably, in the second moving picture administrating apparatus, theediting performed by the index editing means includes at least oneoperation selected from the group consisting of the change of scenenumber, division of scene, joint of scenes, deletion of scene, andchange of the representative frame.

Preferably, the second moving picture administrating apparatus furthercomprises a title selecting means for selecting one of titles given bythe title adding means, and an index display means for displayingrepresentative frames which are selected beforehand as corresponding tothe index having the title selected by the title selecting means.

Preferably, the second moving picture administrating apparatus furthercomprises a character string display means for collecting characterstrings to be displayed on a screen by retrieving the video data storedin the video data storing means and for displaying a list of obtainedcharacter strings.

Preferably, the second moving picture administrating apparatus furthercomprises a caption frame detecting means for retrieving the video datastored in the video data storing means to detect a caption framecontaining a character string, a character recognizing means forrecognizing a character string contained in each caption frame, and acharacter string display means for displaying a list of characterstrings recognized by the character recognizing means.

Moreover, the present invention provides a third moving pictureadministrating apparatus, according to which a video data storing meansis provided for storing video data. A scene producing means is providedfor segmenting the video data stored in the video data storing meansinto a plurality of scenes, giving a scene number to each of thesegmented scenes, and selecting a representative frame of scene. Anindex storing means is provided for storing at least one index beingedited as an assembly of section information required in a playback ofeach scene, the scene number, and the representative frame which areproduced by the scene producing means. An index editing means isprovided for editing the index stored in the index storing means toproduce a new index. A marker means is provided for selecting one ofscene numbers of the indices stored in the index storing means and foradding a title to the selected scene number. And, a playback means isprovided for successively playing scenes of the index in order of thescene number so that the playback starts with the scene number of theindex corresponding to the title given by the marker means.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the presentinvention will become more apparent from the following detaileddescription which is to be read in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the arrangement of a moving pictureadministrating apparatus in accordance with a first embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of the moving pictureadministrating apparatus in accordance with the first embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing an example of an index fileautomatically produced by the moving picture administrating apparatus inaccordance with the first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing an example of an index file edited bythe moving picture administrating apparatus in accordance with the firstembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing an example of a title file producedby the moving picture administrating apparatus in accordance with thefirst embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a schematic view showing a display example of titles inaccordance with the first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a schematic view showing different scenes played according tothe index;

FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing a server/client type moving pictureretrieving system in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing the arrangement of a moving pictureadministrating apparatus in accordance with a second embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the operation of the moving pictureadministrating apparatus in accordance with the second embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing the arrangement of a moving pictureadministrating apparatus in accordance with a third embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing the operation of the moving pictureadministrating apparatus in accordance with the third embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing the arrangement of a moving pictureadministrating apparatus in accordance with a fourth embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing the operation of the moving pictureadministrating apparatus in accordance with the fourth embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 15 is a block diagram showing the arrangement of a conventionalmoving picture retrieving apparatus;

FIG. 16 is a flowchart showing the operation of the conventional movingpicture retrieving apparatus;

FIG. 17 is a schematic view showing a video title retrieving screen inaccordance with the conventional moving picture retrieving apparatus;and

FIG. 18 is a schematic view showing a retrieval result in accordancewith the conventional moving picture retrieving apparatus.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will beexplained with reference to FIGS. 1 to 14. Identical parts are denotedby the same reference numerals throughout the views.

First Embodiment

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the arrangement of a moving pictureadministrating apparatus in accordance with a first embodiment of thepresent invention. A video data storing section 101 stores video files121 (i.e., files consisting of video data). For example, the video dataare compression coded according to the established internationalstandard for the moving picture coding, such as MPEG1 (ISO/IEC 11172) orMPEG2 (ISO/IEC 13818). A scene producing section 102 receives the videodata from the video data storing section 101 and segments the receivedvideo data into a plurality of scenes. Then, the scene producing section102 allocates a scene number to each of the segmented scenes, andproduces a representative frame by picking up a representative screenimage from each scene.

An index storing section 103 stores index files 122, a title file 123,and representative frame files 124. Each index file 122 is an assemblyof section information required in the playback operation as well as thescene number and the representative frame of each scene. The title file123 stores titles given to respective indices. For example, start timeand end time of each scene are the section information required for theplayback of each scene. One representative frame file 124 storesrepresentative frames of scene. The related titles are summarized as asingle file.

A display section 104 displays the representative frames, index titles,and moving images. An input section 105 allows the user to designateedition of indices, input titles, select titles, and select arepresentative frame.

An index editing section 106 reads one of the indices stored in theindex storing section 103, and causes the display section 104 to displaythe representative frames in accordance with their scene numbers.Furthermore, the index editing section 106 edits the index in responseto the user's instruction, and produces a new index. The user'sinstruction includes the change of scene number, division of scene,joint of scenes, deletion of scene, and change of the representativeframe of scene.

A title adding section 107 gives a title to each index. A title displaysection 108 causes the display section 104 to display the titles ofrespective indices stored in the index storing section 103. A titleselecting section 109 selects one of the titles displayed on the displaysection 104 in response to a user's instruction. An index displaysection 110 causes the display section 104 to display the representativeframe of the designated index corresponding to the title selected by thetitle selecting section 109. A representative frame selecting section111 selects one of the representative frames displayed on the displaysection 104 in response to a user's instruction. A playback section 112plays the scenes of the designated index in the order of scene number.The playback operation starts with the head frame (i.e., representativeframe) selected by the scene frame selecting section 111.

A data storing section 113 consists of the video data storing section101 and the index storing section 103. An index producing section 114consists of the scene producing section 102, the title adding section107, and the index editing section 106. A retrieving section 115consists of the title display section 108, the title selecting section109, the index display section 110, the representative frame selectingsection 111, and the playback section 112.

The video data storing section 101 and the index storing section 103 arepractically realized by conventionally available recording/storingdevices including hard disks, DVD-ROMs, and PDs. The scene producingsection 102, the index editing section 106, the title adding section107, the title display section 108, the title selecting section 109, theindex display section 110, the representative frame selecting section111, and the playback section 112 are practically realized by a CPUinstalled in a personal computer. The display section 104 is practicallyrealized by a monitor or a comparable display device. The input section105 is practically realized by an appropriate pointing device, such as akeyboard or a mouse.

FIG. 2 is the flowchart showing the operation of the above-describedmoving picture administrating apparatus in accordance with the firstembodiment.

In step 201, it is checked whether the user intends to produce an index.The control flow proceeds to step 202 if the user wants to produce a newindex (i.e. YES in step 201), and proceeds to step 209 otherwise, i.e.,when the user performs the retrieving operation by using the presentlyavailable indices.

In step 202, one of the video files 121 stored in the video data storingsection 101 is selected.

In step 203, the scene producing section 102 segments the video data ofthe selected video file into a plurality of scenes, and allocates ascene number to each of the segmented scenes. Allocation of the scenenumbers is serial in accordance with the arrayed order of scenes so thatthe first scene number is allocated to the head scene. Regarding themethod for segmenting the video data into a plurality of scenes, it ispossible to detect every scene change according to the techniquedisclosed in the unexamined Japanese Patent Publication No. 10-294923.Each scene is defined by two adjacent scene changes. Both the start timeand the end time of each scene resulting from such a scene segmentingoperation are stored and later used in the playback operation, i.e., inthe playback of the scenes of video files, performed by the playbacksection 112. The scene number “n” (n=an integer not smaller than 1) isallocated to the n^(th) scene. The representative frame can be stored asa “JPEG (i.e., Joint Photographic Experts Group)” file which has a fileformat displayable on the WWW browser.

In step 204, the scene producing section 102 produces a file summarizingthe obtained data, i.e., start/end times of each scene, scene number,file name of a representative frame of scene, and video file name ofeach scene. The scene producing section 102 sends this file (i.e., indexfile 122) to the index storing section 103. Thus, the index storingsection 103 stores the index file 122 containing the produced index thusproduced. FIG. 3 shows an example of the index file produced by themoving picture administrating apparatus of the first embodiment,according to which the first scene ranges from the head to 10 seconds,the second scene ranges from 10 to 17 seconds, the third scene rangesfrom 17 to 30 seconds, and the fourth scene ranges from 30 to 33seconds.

In step 205, the user operates the input section 105 to enter his/herfavorite title to be given to the new index produced in the step 204.The title adding section 107 reads the title file 123 which records allof the titles produced by the index storing section 103, and adds thenewly produced title and its index file name to the head of this titlefile 123. Naming of the title is arbitrarily done according to theuser's preference without any restrictions. For example, when the indexis automatically produced based on the video data, it will be preferableto use the name clearly showing the nature of production process, suchas “1 year-old Birthday (auto-produced).” The number of title file 123is not limited to only one. It is preferable to produce a plurality oftitle files when the video data storing section 101 stores various kindsof video files 121 which can be classified into several genres, such asnews programs, TV dramas, self-produced videotape recording data, etc.In such a case, it is preferable to provide an independent title file toeach genre. It is also preferable to produce a new title file when thetotal number of the recorded titles exceeds a predetermined number (e.g.100).

In step 206, the user operates the input section 105 to select one ofindex files 122 stored in the index storing section 103. The indexediting section 106 reads the selected index file in response to theuser's input, and causes the display section 104 to displayrepresentative frames in the order of scene number. Then, the indexediting section 106 edits the index in accordance with the user'sinstructions and produces a new index.

The user's instructions entered through the input section 105 includethe change of scene number, the division of scene, the joint of scenes,the deletion of scene, and the change of the representative frame.

For example, the index editing section 106 can change the scene numberin the following manner.

When the n^(th) scene is shifted to the next of the m^(th) scene (m=aninteger not smaller than n+1), new scene numbers for the original(n+1)^(th) to m^(th) scenes are allocated by subtracting 1 from thecurrent scene numbers. As a result of the above shifting or shuffle ofscenes, the original n^(th) scene is newly allocated to the m^(th)scene.

For example, the index editing section 106 can divide one scene into aplurality of scenes in the following manner.

When the n^(th) scene ranging from time t1 to time t3 is divided intotwo scenes at an intermediate time t2, new scene numbers for theoriginal scenes n+1, n+2, . . . are allocated by adding 1 to the currentscene numbers. The first half of the divided scene, ranging from time t1to t2, remains unchanged in its scene number. The second half of thedivided scene, ranging from time t2 to t3, is newly allocated to thescene number (n+1).

For example, the index editing section 106 can join a plurality ofscenes into one scene in the following manner.

When the n^(th) scene starting from time t1 and the (n+1)^(th) sceneending at time t2 are joined, new scene numbers for the original scenesn+2, n+3, . . . are allocated by subtracting 1 from the current scenenumbers. The joined scene, ranging from time t1 to t2, is newlyallocated to the scene number n.

For example, the index editing section 106 can delete an appropriatescene in the following manner.

When the n^(th) scene is deleted, new scene numbers for the originalscenes n+1, n+2, . . . are allocated by subtracting 1 from the currentscene numbers.

For example, the index editing section 106 can change the representativeframe in the following manner.

When the representative frame of the scene ranging from time t1 to timet2 is changed, an appropriate frame existing somewhere between time t1to t2 can be selected as a new representative frame. FIG. 4 shows anexample of the index file edited by the moving picture administratingapparatus of the first embodiment, according to which an original partranging from 10 to 17 seconds is deleted. As a result, the first sceneranges from the head to 10 seconds, the second scene ranges from 17 to30 seconds, and the third scene ranges from 30 to 33 seconds.

In step 207, the user operates the input section 105 to enter a name ofthe index file into which the produced index is stored as well as atitle to be given to the produced index. The index storing section 103stores the file of the index produced in the step 206. The title addingsection 107 reads the title file 123 from the index storing section 103,and adds the title and the index file name entered by the user to thehead of the title file 123.

By executing the steps 206 and 207, it becomes possible to produce aplurality of and various indices from the same video data and alsobecomes possible to give a title to each produced index. For example, itis possible to edit a new index titled “1 year-old Birthday (abstract)”which collects only important scenes from an original index titled “1year-old Birthday (auto-produced).” Furthermore, it is possible toselect a new title not directly relevant to the original title, such as“He/she Became So Big—1 year-old”, when the user intends to show theedited index to others.

Furthermore, when the user and his/her family have their memoriesrecorded by a same or common video camera during a travel, it ispossible to integrate their memories into same video data with aplurality of indices. For example, each index may correspond to arecoding place. In this case, appropriate titles representing differentrecording places, such as “At ∘∘∘∘ Coast” or “At xxxx Hotel”, can begiven to respective indices. In this manner, when the video data can beclassified into a plurality of groups, it is possible to produce aplurality of indices according to the classification.

Moreover, when the user produces a teaching material from a TV programor his/her self-produced video data, it is possible to produce an indexbeforehand by collecting only necessary scenes. FIG. 5 shows an exampleof the title file 123 storing a plurality of index titles together withtheir index file names.

In step 208, it is checked whether the user wants to continue theproduction of new index. When the user requests the production ofanother new index (i.e., YES in step 208), the control flow returns tothe step 206. Otherwise, the control flow proceeds to step 209.

The index required in the retrieving operation is thus produced throughthe above-described steps 202 to 208. The retrieving operation using theproduced indices is performed according to the following steps.

In step 209, the title display section 108 reads the title file 123 fromthe index storing section 103, and causes the display section 104 todisplay the readout index titles. It is possible to display a limitednumber of titles which are recorded in a specific title file designatedby the user. FIG. 6 shows a display example of titles.

In step 210, the title selecting section 109 selects one of the titlesdisplayed by the display section 104 in accordance with a user'sinstruction. In step 211, the index display section 110 causes thedisplay section 104 to display a list of representative frames of theindex corresponding to the title selected in the step 210. In step 212,the representative frame selecting section 111 selects one of therepresentative frames displayed in the step 211 in accordance with auser's instruction entered through the input section 105.

In step 213, the playback section 112 successively plays the consecutivescenes of the designated index in order of the scene number, so that theplayback starts with the representative frame selected in the step 212.In step 214, it is checked whether the user wants to continue theplayback operation (i.e., whether the user wants to play the scenes ofother index). When the user requests the playback of any other index(i.e., YES in step 214), the control flow returns to the step 209.Otherwise, the retrieving operation is terminated.

According to the above steps 211 to 213, the playback operation startsfrom the representative frame selected by the user. However, it ispossible to omit the step of selecting the representative frame ofscene. In this case, after one preferable title is selected in the step210, it is preferable to successively play all of the scenes from thehead of the index corresponding to the selected title according to thescene number, instead of performing the above-described steps 211 and213.

For example, the user may select the index titled “1 year-old Birthday(auto-produced)” which is automatically produced based on a 20-minutevideo data. In this case, all the scenes of the 20-minute video data areplayed from its beginning, as shown by a section 701 in FIG. 7. When theuser selects the index titled “1 year-old Birthday (abstract)” which isan abstract collecting the important scenes, only the selected importantportions are played back as shown by sections 702 to 704 in FIG. 7. Whenthe user selects the index titled “He/she Became So Big—1 year-old”,only a limited part corresponding to this title is played back as shownby a section 705 in FIG. 7.

The index editing operation may further include other operations, suchas copy of scene, in addition to the above-described change of scenenumber, division of scene, joint of scenes, deletion of scene, andchange of the representative frame of scene. It is also possible torenumber the scene numbers from the left to the right by arraying thenecessary scenes in a horizontal direction. The same modification can beapplied to each of the division of scene, the joint of scenes, thedeletion of scene, and the change of the representative frame of scene.

Furthermore, it is possible to display a predetermined number ofrepresentative frames selected beforehand by the user in the step 211,instead of displaying the list of the representative frames of theindex.

FIG. 8 shows a server/client type moving picture retrieving systemincorporating the present invention. A server 801 stores video data,indices, and index titles. At least one index producing client 802produces and edits the indices. A plurality of retrieving clients 803 ato 803 d allow unlimited users to perform the retrieving operation. Anetwork 804, such as Ethernet, connects the server 801, the indexproducing client 802 and the retrieving clients 803 a to 803 d. Theserver 801 is functionally equivalent to the video data storing section101 and the index storing section 103. The index producing client 802 isfunctionally equivalent to the scene producing section 102, the indexediting section 106, and the title adding section 107. The retrievingclients 803 a to 803 d are functionally equivalent to the title displaysection 108, the title selecting section 109, the index display section110, the representative frame selecting section 111, and the playbacksection 112.

For example, the server 801 stores the videos of news programs. Whenthese videos are searched on the client's WWW (World Wide Web) browser,it is possible to select an index titled “xx/xx/99 News (abstract) ” towatch the essential portions of the news of this day. It is alsopossible to select an index titled “Sports Event Result” to selectivelywatch the news of a specific theme. It is also preferable to select anindex titled “Recommendation by Mr. ∘∘” to watch the news selected byhis/her hobby friend.

As the section information necessary to play the scenes, it is possibleto use the information other than the start/end times of each scene. Forexample, the section information may include the start/end frame numbersof each scene, or the byte number defining a duration or interval fromthe head of the video file to the scene head or to the scene end.

According to the above-described first embodiment, it becomes possibleto perform the playback operation by connecting only necessary scenes ofvideo data by editing the indices arraying the necessary scenes. Thus,the first embodiment makes it possible to simply play the abstract orthe like from the given video data. The data size of the index producedfor playing only the necessary portions is smaller than that of thevideo data produced by connecting the necessary scenes. Thus, it is notnecessary to expand the capacity of the video data storing section somuch.

Furthermore, the above-described first embodiment makes it possible toproduce a plurality of and various indices from the same video data. Anappropriate title is given to each index thus produced. Hence, itbecomes possible to reuse the old search result collected according tothe retrieval purposes arbitrarily selected by the user. Furthermore, aplurality of indices can be produced from one video data according tothe contents. It becomes possible to simply administrate numerous andvarious kinds of video data by using the indices. The user can retrievethe indices according to the titles given to respective indices.

When one computer acting as the server 801 and numerous personalcomputers acting as clients are connected by the Internet or Intranet soas to constitute the server/client type moving retrieving system, theabove-described first embodiment makes it possible to allow numerousunlimited users to perform effective search of their favorable news andimages.

When only the pre-selected representative frames are displayed inresponse to the user's selection from the index titles in the retrievaloperation, it becomes possible to reduce the total number of displayedscenes compared from the case where all of representative frames aredisplayed at a time. In other words, the above-described firstembodiment makes it possible to substantially reduce the user's burdenin confirming the contents of the indices or in retrieving the scenesplayed by the playback section.

Second Embodiment

FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing the arrangement of a moving pictureadministrating apparatus in accordance with a second embodiment of thepresent invention. The video data storing section 101, the sceneproducing section 102, the index storing section 103, the displaysection 104, the input section 105, the index editing section 106, thetitle adding section 107 are functionally equivalent to those disclosedin the first embodiment. A database section 901 administrates andretrieves the index file names and the titles given to respectiveindices. A title display section 902 causes the display section 104 todisplay the title relevant to a character string entered by the userthrough the input section 105. The title selecting section 109, theindex display section 110, the representative frame selecting section111, and the playback section 112 are functionally equivalent to thosedisclosed in the first embodiment.

The database section 901 is practically realized by a storing medium,such as a hard disk, and a CPU installed in a personal computer. Thetitle display section 902 is practically realized by the CPU of thepersonal computer.

FIG. 10 is the flowchart showing the operation of the above-describedmoving picture administrating apparatus in accordance with the secondembodiment.

Steps 1001 to 1005, 1007, 1008 and 1010 shown in FIG. 10 aresubstantially the same as the above-described steps 201 to 208 of thefirst embodiment.

In step 1001, it is checked whether the user intends to produce anindex. The control flow proceeds to step 1002 if the user wants toproduce a new index (i.e. YES in step 1001), and proceeds to step 1011otherwise, i.e., when the user performs the retrieving operation byusing the presently available indices.

In step 1002, one of the video files 121 stored in the video datastoring section 101 is selected.

In step 1003, the scene producing section 102 segments the video data ofthe selected video file into a plurality of scenes, and allocates ascene number to each of the segmented scenes. Allocation of the scenenumbers is serial in accordance with the arrayed order of scenes so thatthe first scene number is allocated to the head scene. The head frame ofeach scene serves as a representative frame of scene.

In step 1004, the scene producing section 102 produces a filesummarizing the obtained data, i.e., start/end times of each scene,scene number, file name of a representative frame of scene, and videofile name of each scene. The scene producing section 102 sends this file(i.e., index file 122) to the index storing section 103. Thus, the indexstoring section 103 stores the index file 122 containing the producedindex thus produced.

In step 1005, the user operates the input section 105 to enter his/herfavorite title to be given to the new index produced in the step 1004.The title adding section 107 reads the title file 123 which records allof the titles produced by the index storing section 103, and adds thenewly produced title and its index file name to the head of this titlefile 123.

In the next step 1006, the database section 901 registers the title andthe index file name recorded to the head of the title file 123.

In step 1007, the user operates the input section 105 to select one ofindex files 122 stored in the index storing section 103. The indexediting section 106 reads the selected index file in response to theuser's input, and causes the display section 104 to displayrepresentative frames in the order of scene number. Then, the indexediting section 106 edits the index in accordance with the user'sinstructions and produces a new index. As described in the firstembodiment, the index editing operation performed by the user includesthe change of scene number, division of scene, joint of scenes, deletionof scene, and change of the representative fame of scene.

In step 1008, the user operates the input section 105 to enter a name ofthe index file into which the produced index is stored as well as atitle to be given to the produced index. The index storing section 103stores the file of the index produced in the step 1007. The title addingsection 107 reads the title file 123 from the index storing section 103,and adds the title and the index file name entered by the user to thehead of the title file 123.

In the next step 1009, the database section 901 registers the title andthe index file name recorded to the head of the title file 123.

In step 1010, it is checked whether the user wants to continue theproduction of new index. When the user requests the production ofanother new index (i.e., YES in step 1010), the control flow returns tothe step 1007. Otherwise, the control flow proceeds to step 1011.

The index required in the retrieving operation is thus produced throughthe above-described steps 1002 to 1010. The retrieving operation usingthe produced indices is performed according to the following steps.

In the step 1011, the user operates the input section 105 to enter acharacter string (i.e., retrieval key) representing the contents whichthe user wants to search. The title display section 902 retrieves theinformation stored in the database section 901 to find out candidatetitles relevant to the character string entered through the inputsection 105. Then, the title display section 902 causes the displaysection 104 to display the obtained retrieval result.

Steps 1012 to 1016 shown in FIG. 10 are substantially the same as theabove-described steps 210 to 214 of the first embodiment.

In step 1012, the title selecting section 109 selects one of thecandidate titles displayed by the display section 104 in accordance witha user's instruction. In step 1013, the index display section 110 causesthe display section 104 to display a list of representative frames ofthe index corresponding to the title selected in the step 1012. In step1014, the representative frame selecting section 111 selects one of therepresentative frames displayed in the step 1013 in accordance with auser's instruction entered through the input section 105.

In step 1015, the playback section 112 successively plays theconsecutive scenes of the designated index in order of the scene number,so that the playback starts with the representative frame selected inthe step 1014.

In step 1016, it is checked whether the user wants to continue theplayback operation (i.e., whether the user wants to play the scenes ofother index). When the user requests the playback of any other index(i.e., YES in step 1016), the control flow returns to the step 1011.Otherwise, the retrieving operation is terminated.

According to the above-described operation, the candidate titlesrelevant to the retrieval key are retrieved and the retrieved candidatetitles are displayed by the display section 104 (step 1011). However, itis possible to directly proceed to the step 1013 without displaying theretrieved candidate titles. Then, in this case, it is preferable todisplay a list of representative frames of the index corresponding tothe title which is most relevant to the retrieval key.

Furthermore, it is preferable to provide a keyword adding section whichgives keywords to respective indices stored in the index storing section103. In this case, it is further preferable that the database section901 registers the keywords thus given so that the retrieving operationcan be performed by utilizing the registered keywords in addition to theindex titles.

As described above, the second embodiment of the present inventionprovides the database section 901 to speedily perform the retrievingoperation of the index titles and administrate the retrieval data. Thus,the second embodiment makes it possible to easily find out the candidatetitles agreeable with the retrieving keys. Furthermore, when the keywordadding section is provided, it becomes possible to find out thecandidate titles based on the keywords.

Third Embodiment

FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing the arrangement of a moving pictureadministrating apparatus in accordance with a third embodiment of thepresent invention. The video data storing section 101 and the sceneproducing section 102 are functionally equivalent to those disclosed inthe first embodiment. An index storing section 1101 stores indices eachbeing an assembly of the section information required in the playbackoperation of each scene obtained in the scene producing section 102 aswell as the scene number and the representative frame of each scene.Furthermore, the index storing section 1101 stores titles given torespective scene numbers.

The display section 104, the input section 105, and the index editingsection 106 are functionally equivalent to those disclosed in the firstembodiment.

A marker section 1102 selects one of the scene numbers of the indicesstored in the index storing section 1101 and gives a title to theselected scene number.

A title display section 1103 causes the display section 104 to displaythe titles stored in the index storing section 1101. The title selectingsection 109 is functionally equivalent to that disclosed in the firstembodiment. The playback section 1104 plays the scenes of the designatedindex in the order of scene number. The playback operation starts withthe scene having the scene number corresponding to the index which isgiven the title selected by the title selecting section 1009.

The index storing section 1101 is practically realized by a storingmedium, such as a hard disk. The marker section 1102, the title displaysection 1103, and the playback section 1104 are practically realized bythe CPU installed in a personal computer.

FIG. 12 is the flowchart showing the operation of the above-describedmoving picture administrating apparatus in accordance with the thirdembodiment.

Steps 1201 to 1205, 1210 and 1212 shown in FIG. 12 are substantially thesame as the above-described steps 201 to 204, 206, 210 and 214 of thefirst embodiment.

In step 1201, it is checked whether the user intends to produce anindex. The control flow proceeds to step 1202 if the user wants toproduce a new index (i.e. YES in step 1201), and proceeds to step 1209otherwise, i.e., when the user performs the retrieving operation byusing the presently available indices.

In step 1202, one of the video files 121 stored in the video datastoring section 101 is selected.

In step 1203, the scene producing section 102 segments the video data ofthe selected video file into a plurality of scenes, and allocates ascene number to each of the segmented scenes. Allocation of the scenenumbers is serial in accordance with the arrayed order of scenes so thatthe first scene number is allocated to the head scene. The head frame ofeach scene serves as a representative frame of scene.

In step 1204, the scene producing section 102 produces a filesummarizing the obtained data, i.e., start/end times of each scene,scene number, file name of a representative frame of scene, and videofile name of each scene. The scene producing section 102 sends this file(i.e., index file 122) to the index storing section 1101. Thus, theindex storing section 1101 stores the index file 122 containing theproduced index thus produced.

In step 1205, the user operates the input section 105 to select one ofindex files 122 stored in the index storing section 1101. The indexediting section 106 reads the selected index file in response to theuser's input, and causes the display section 104 to displayrepresentative frames in the order of scene number. Then, the indexediting section 106 edits the index in accordance with the user'sinstructions and produces a new index. The user's instructions enteredthrough the input section 105 include the change of scene number,division of scene, joint of scenes, deletion of scene, and change of therepresentative frame of scene.

In step 1206, the user operates the input section 105 to enter a filename of the index file 122 into which the new index produced in the step1205 is stored. Thus, the index storing section 1101 stores the indexfile containing the newly produced index.

In step 1207, the user operates the input section 105 to select one ofthe representative frames and enter a title to be given to the selectedrepresentative frame. The marker section 1102 stores the name of indexfile 122, the scene number of the representative frame selected by theuser, and the title entered by the user into a marker file 125. Morespecifically, the index storing section 1101 comprises an alreadyproduced marker file 125. Thus, the marker section 1102 reads the markerfile 125 from the index storing section 1101, and adds the name of indexfile 122, the scene number of the representative frame selected by theuser, and the title entered by the user to the head of the marker file125.

The total number of the marker files 125 provided in the index storingsection 1101 is not limited to one. Accordingly, it is possible toprovide a plurality of marker files 125. For example, the index files122 stored in the index storing section 1101 can be classified into aplurality of genres, such as news programs, TV dramas, self-producedvideotape recording data, etc. In such a case, it is preferable toprovide an independent marker file to each genre. It is also preferableto produce a new marker file when the total number of the recordedtitles exceeds a predetermined number (e.g. 100).

The title can be given freely. For example, it is possible to collectonly necessary scenes from the video data of TV programs or from theself-recorded videotape recording data, and is possible to produce anindex beforehand based on the collected scenes. For example, for thepurpose of utilizing the collected scenes as teaching materials, it ispossible to give a title to each scene from which the playback operationstarts or resumes. In this case, the given title may be “HistoricalBackground of ∘∘'s Law ”, “Experiment of ∘∘”, or “Instruments Utilizingthe ∘∘'s Law.”

When the user and his/her family have their memories recorded by a videocamera during a travel, it is possible to integrate their memories intosame video data with a plurality of titles. For example, each title maycorrespond to a recording place. In this case, appropriate titlesrepresenting different recording places, such as “At ∘∘∘∘ Coast” or “Atxxxx Hotel”, can be used. In this manner, when the video data can beclassified into a plurality of groups, it is possible to give aplurality of titles according to their contents.

In step 1208, it is judged whether the user wants to give a new title toanother representative frame, i.e., whether the user wants to continuethe allocation of titles. When the user requests another new title(i.e., YES in step 1208), the control flow returns to the step 1207.Otherwise, the control flow proceeds to step 1209.

The index required in the retrieving operation and the marker file 125are thus produced through the above-described steps 1202 to 1208. Theretrieving operation using the produced indices and the marker file 125is performed according to the following steps.

In step 1209, the title display section 1103 reads the marker file 125from the index storing section 1101, and causes the display section 104to display the readout titles. It is possible to display a limitednumber of titles which are selected by the user. In step 1210, the titleselecting section 109 selects one of the titles displayed by the displaysection 104 in accordance with a user's instruction entered through theinput section 105.

In step 1211, the playback section 1104 successively plays theconsecutive scenes of the designated index in order of the scene number,so that the playback starts with the scene number of the indexcorresponding to the title selected in the step 1210. In step 1212, itis checked whether the user wants to continue the playback operation(i.e., whether the user wants to play other scenes). When the userrequests the playback of other scenes (i.e., YES in step 1212), thecontrol flow returns to the step 1209. Otherwise, the retrievingoperation is terminated.

The above-described operation performs the index editing operation onlyone time (refer to the steps 1205 to 1206). However, it is possible toperform the index editing operation two times or more so that three ormore indices can be produced. Alternatively, it is possible to omit theindex editing operation. In this case, the index storing section 1101stores only the indices produced in the steps 1203 and 1204.

The above-described third embodiment makes it possible to flexibly giveappropriate titles to the retrieved scenes with reference to theretrieval purposes. Thus, it becomes possible to reuse the old searchresult collected according to the retrieval purposes arbitrarilyselected by the user.

Furthermore, the above-described third embodiment makes it possible toperform the playback operation by connecting only the necessary scenesof video data by editing the indices arraying the necessary scenes.Furthermore, by giving the title to each head scene from which the userwants to start the playback, the use can search his/her favorite headscene according to the title.

Fourth Embodiment

FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing the arrangement of a moving pictureadministrating apparatus in accordance with a fourth embodiment of thepresent invention. The video data storing section 101, the sceneproducing section 102, the display section 104, the input section 105,and the index editing section 106 are functionally equivalent to thosedisclosed in the first embodiment. A caption frame detecting section1301 retrieves the video data stored in the video data storing section101 to detect a frame displaying a character string superimposedthereon. The detected frame is designated as a caption frame.

A character recognizing section 1302 recognizes the character string inthe caption fame, and produces the recognized result. An index storingsection 1303 stores indices each being an assembly of the sectioninformation required in the playback operation of each scene obtained inthe scene producing section 102 as well as the scene number and therepresentative frame of each scene. Furthermore, the index storingsection 1303 stores titles given to respective indices and characterstrings (i.e., caption characters) obtained by the character recognizingsection 1302.

A character string display section 1304 displays a list of captioncharacters stored in the index storing section 1303. A title addingsection 1305 has a function of obtaining the caption charactersdisplayed by the character string display section 1304 and also has afunction of giving a title to each index. The title display section 108,the title selecting section 109, the index display section 110, therepresentative frame selecting section 111 and the playback section 112are functionally equivalent to those disclosed in the first embodiment.

The caption frame detecting section 1301, the character recognizingsection 1302, the character string display section 1304, and the titleadding section 1305 are practically realized by the CPU installed in apersonal computer. The index storing section 1303 is practicallyrealized by a storing medium, such as a hard disk.

FIG. 14 is the flowchart showing the operation of the above-describedmoving picture administrating apparatus in accordance with the fourthembodiment.

Steps 1401 to 1404, 1409, and 1412 shown in FIG. 14 are substantiallythe same as the above-described steps 201 to 204, 206, and 208 of thefirst embodiment.

In step 1401, it is checked whether the user intends to produce anindex. The control flow proceeds to step 1402 if the user wants toproduce a new index (i.e. YES in step 1401), and proceeds to step 1413otherwise, i.e., when the user performs the retrieving operation byusing the presently available indices.

In step 1402, one of the video files 121 stored in the video datastoring section 101 is selected.

In step 1403, the scene producing section 102 segments the video data ofthe selected video file into a plurality of scenes, and allocates ascene number to each of the segmented scenes. Allocation of the scenenumbers is serial in accordance with the arrayed order of scenes so thatthe first scene number is allocated to the head scene. The head frame ofeach scene serves as a representative frame of scene.

In step 1404, the scene producing section 102 produces a filesummarizing the obtained data, i.e., start/end times of each scene,scene number, file name of a representative frame of scene, and videofile name of each scene. The scene producing section 102 sends this file(i.e., index file 122) to the index storing section 1303. Thus, theindex storing section 1303 stores the index file 122 containing theproduced index thus produced.

In step 1405, the caption frame detecting section 1301 detects a framedisplaying a character string and identifies the detected frame as oneof caption frames. The unexamined Japanese Patent publication No.10-154148 discloses a method for automatically detecting a characterstring from video data.

In step 1406, the character recognizing section 1302 recognizes thecharacter string in the caption frame, and produces the recognizedresult (i.e., caption characters). The index storing section 1303 storesa single file containing the caption characters resultant from the samevideo data. This file is referred to as caption file 126. Regarding themethod for recognizing the characters, its detailed technique will befound, for example, in the “Character Recognition and Translation forTexts in a Scene” written by Watanabe et al., The Journal of theInstitute of Image Electronics Engineers of Japan, vol. 26, No. 6, 1997.

In step 1407, the character string display section 1304 reads thecaption file 126 stored in the step 1406 and causes the display section104 to display the list of the readout caption characters. In step 1408,the user operates the input section 105 to select one of the captioncharacters displayed by the display section 104, and then produces atitle by using an editor. The title adding section 1305 accesses theindex storing section 1303 to read the title file 123 recording thetitles of already produced indices. Then, the title adding section 1305adds the new title edited by the editor and its index file name to thehead of the title file 123.

In step 1409, the user operates the input section 105 to select one ofindex files 122 stored in the index storing section 1303. The indexediting section 106 reads the selected index file in response to theuser's input, and causes the display section 104 to displayrepresentative frames in the order of scene number. Then, the indexediting section 106 edits the index in accordance with the user'sinstructions and produces a new index. The user's instructions enteredthrough the input section 105 include the change of scene number,division of scene, joint of scenes, deletion of scene, and change of therepresentative frame.

In step 1410, the character string display section 1304 reads thecaption file 126 stored in the step 1406 and causes the display section104 to display the list of the readout caption characters. In step 1411,the user operates the input section 105 to select one of the captioncharacters displayed by the display section 104, and then produces atitle by using an editor. The title adding section 1305 accesses theindex storing section 1303 to read the title file 123 and add the newtitle edited by the editor and its index file name to the head of thetitle file 123.

In step 1412, it is checked whether the user wants to continue theproduction of new index. When the user requests the production ofanother new index (i.e., YES in step 1412), the control flow returns tothe step 1409. Otherwise, the control flow proceeds to step 1413.

The index required in the retrieving operation is thus produced throughthe above-described steps 1402 to 1412. The retrieving operation usingthe produced indices is performed according to the following steps.

Steps 1413 to 1418 shown in FIG. 14 are substantially the same as theabove-described steps 209 to 214 of the first embodiment.

In step 1413, the title display section 108 reads the title file 123from the index storing section 1303, and causes the display section 104to display the readout index titles.

In step 1414, the title selecting section 109 selects one of the titlesdisplayed by the display section 104 in accordance with a user'sinstruction.

In step 1415, the index display section 110 causes the display section104 to display a list of representative frames of the indexcorresponding to the title selected in the step 1414. In step 1416, therepresentative frame selecting section 111 selects one of therepresentative frames displayed in the step 1415 in accordance with auser's instruction entered through the input section 105.

In step 1417, the playback section 112 successively plays theconsecutive scenes of the designated index in order of the scene number,so that the playback starts with the representative frame selected inthe step 1416.

In step 1418, it is checked whether the user wants to continue theplayback operation (i.e., whether the user wants to play the scenes ofother index). When the user requests the playback of any other index(i.e., YES in step 1418), the control flow returns to the step 1413.Otherwise, the retrieving operation is terminated.

According to the above operation, the index file 122 is produced firstin the steps 1403 to 1404 and the caption file 126 is produced in thelater steps 1405 to 1406. However, it is possible to produce the captionfile 126 prior to the production of the index file 122. Alternatively,it is also preferable to produce the caption file 126 and the index file122 simultaneously by using the parallel processing.

Furthermore, when the caption character data is attached to a video fileor available through Internet, such data can be used to produce thecaption file 126 of the present invention instead of utilizing themethod for automatically detecting a character string from video data orutilizing the method of recognizing the characters. Namely, in such acase, the steps 1405 to 1406 can be omitted.

Moreover, it is possible to utilize the caption characters recorded inthe caption file 126 as the index keywords of respective indices.

As described above, the fourth embodiment does not require time andlabor to play a video data to know contents of a vide data. The titlecan be easily added to each index by correcting a character string.

This invention may be embodied in several forms without departing fromthe spirit of essential characteristics thereof. The present embodimentsas described are therefore intended to be only illustrative and notrestrictive, since the scope of the invention is defined by the appendedclaims rather than by the description preceding them. All changes thatfall within the metes and bounds of the claims, or equivalents of suchmetes and bounds, are therefore intended to be embraced by the claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A moving picture administrating apparatus,comprising: a video data storing means for storing video data; a sceneproducing means for segmenting said video data stored in said video datastoring means into a plurality of segmented scenes, giving a scenenumber to each of said segmented scenes, and selecting a representativeframe of scene; an index storing means for storing at least one indexbeing edited as an assembly of section information required in aplayback of each scene, said scene number, and said representative frameof scene which are produced by said scene producing means; an indexediting means for editing said index stored in said index storing meansto produce a new index; a title adding means for adding a title to eachindex stored in said index storing means; a playback means forsuccessively playing scenes in order of the scene number so that theplayback starts with one of scenes of said index; a caption framedetecting means for retrieving said video data stored in said video datastoring means to detect a caption frame containing a character string; acharacter recognizing means for recognizing a character string containedin each caption frame, and a character string display means fordisplaying a list of caption character strings recognized by saidcharacter recognizing means.
 2. The moving picture administratingapparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein: an index producing clientacts as said scene producing means, said index editing means, and saidtitle adding means; a server act s as said video data storing means andsaid index storing means; at least one retrieving client acts as saidplayback means; and said server, said index producing client, and saidat least one retrieving client are connected via a network.
 3. Themoving picture administrating apparatus in accordance with claim 1,further comprising: a retrieving means for performing an index search bydesignating retrieval conditions relevant to a search purpose; andwherein said playback means operates for successively playing scenes inorder of the scene number so that the playback starts with one of scenesof a retrieved index corresponding to said retrieval conditions.
 4. Themoving picture administrating apparatus in accordance with claim 1,wherein said index storing means comprises at least one file for storingindices, and further including a database means for administrating andretrieving file names of said indices and the titles assigned torespective indices.
 5. The moving picture administrating apparatus inaccordance with claim 1, further comprising a keyword assigning meansfor giving keywords to respective indices stored in said index storingmeans.
 6. The moving picture administrating apparatus in accordance withclaim 5, wherein said index storing means comprises at least one filefor storing the indices, and further including a database means foradministrating and retrieving file names of said indices and thekeywords assigned to the indices.
 7. The moving picture administratingapparatus in accordance with claim 3, further comprising a title displaymeans for displaying the titles of said indices stored in said indexstoring means.
 8. The moving picture administrating apparatus inaccordance with claim 7, wherein the titles displayed by said titledisplay means satisfy said retrieval conditions.
 9. The moving pictureadministrating apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the editingperformed by said index editing means includes at least one operationselected from the group consisting of change of scene number, divisionof scene, joining of scenes, deletion of scene, and change of therepresentative frame of scene.
 10. The moving picture administratingapparatus in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a titleselecting means for selecting one of titles given by said title addingmeans, and an index display means for displaying representative frameswhich are selected beforehand as corresponding to an index having thetitle selected by said title selecting means.
 11. The moving pictureadministrating apparatus in accordance with claim 1, further comprises acharacter string display means for collecting character strings to bedisplayed on a screen by retrieving said video data stored in said videodata storing means and for displaying a list of obtained characterstrings.
 12. The moving picture administrating apparatus in accordancewith claim 1, wherein said index storing means stores arecognitionresult produced by sai chacter recognizing means.
 13. The moving pictureadministrating apparatus in accordance with claim 1, further comprisingkeyword adding means for giving keywords to the indices stored in saidindex storing means based on a recognition result produced by saidcharacter recognizing means.
 14. The moving picture administratingapparatus in accordance with claim 1, further comprising an editor forediting a title based on a recognition result produced by said characterrecognizing means.
 15. A moving picture administrating apparatus,comprising: a video data storing means for storing video data; a sceneproducing means for segmenting said video data stored in said video datastoring means into a plurality of segmented scenes, giving a scenenumber to each of said segmented scenes, and selecting a representativeframe of scene; an index storing means for storing at least one indexbeing edited as an assembly of section information required in aplayback of each scene, said scene number, and said representative frameof scene which are produced by said scene producing means; an indexediting means for editing said index stored in said index storing meansto produce a new index; a title adding means for adding a title to eachindex stored in said index storing means; a playback means forsuccessively playing scenes in order of the scene number so that theplayback starts with one of scenes of said index; a caption framedetecting means for retrieving said video data stored in said video datastoring means to detect a caption frame containing a character string; acharacter recognizing means for recognizing a character string containedin each caption frame, a character string display means for displaying alist of caption character strings recognized by said characterrecognizing means; and means enabling a user to edit a listed captioncharacter string by using an editor, thereby enabling the user toprovide a title to the index by modifying an arbitrary caption characterstring selected from said list of caption character strings.